Chapter 1

I woke to snow falling outside the castle, it wasn't a heavy blizzard nor was it a small flurry; it was a gentle snowfall with the coldness of early November following close behind. When I put my bare-feet upon the floor I shivered from the chilled stone floor briefly before heat began to run through me, the effects from the fireplace across the dormitory. Looking at my watch I knew it was still early but I decided to head down to breakfast anyway, no sense waiting for Ron as he'd still be about an hour with Hermione following close behind. Ever since the end of the war she had gotten nearly as bad as he was in the mornings, there had been times where shed nearly miss a class for being asleep. I shook my head to think of the change she was going through. As I dressed I peered around at the sleeping forms of my friends, all of them were changing…I only wished I could see a change in myself.

It had been a hard few months following the end of the war. A lot of grief, a lot of trials and even more rebuilding. The castle took a few weeks before it was in nearly the exact shape as it was before, a few of the professors decided to, since they were working on it anyway, improve a few sections here-and-there and the overall completion was finished near enough of three months. I, like Ron and Hermione, were offered places in the Aurors, it just didn't feel right anymore and so I told them no. Ron, however, had accepted on the condition that he finish school first which was only because Hermione had insisted upon it. Ever since I told them I had declined the offer, which even Hermione didn't do though she was offered a position in a relatively new branch of the Aurors, Ron hadn't really been the same with me and I could tell Hermione had been spending less and less time with me. Why? I don't really know but I've been too exhausted to really try anymore. Everywhere I go people would be in private conversations, notes passed and looks shared while I walked through it all with seemingly no idea what was going on.

I walked down through the corridors with a disinterested expression on my face. To be honest…I didn't really care all that much about finishing school, it wasn't that I didn't care about finishing a job or having a career it was the fact I hadn't been able to move on yet and it appeared as though everyone else had already. Professors largely left me alone in class and the students did as well, the younger ones stared of course but the older ones treated me no different than a regular student, which was good except for the fact they also avoided me. It bothered me at first but now it seemed like any other day.

"Potter," Draco Malfoy acknowledged as he descended the stairs opposite me, turning down the same corridor as I. He looked ragged and a shell of who he once was, his hair was longer and his features gaunt. My childhood rival however spoke with the same determined voice that I could never forget however.

"Malfoy," I replied without breaking stride but my eyes shot back to the stairwell he came down, for a second I thought I saw a flicker of movement. I even went so far as to almost stop but Malfoy kept walking and began speaking.

"Early morning today?" he asked quietly as we came closer and closer to the Great Hall.

I gave a shrug, forgetting about what I thought I saw. "Didn't feel like waiting any longer."

"Same here…" he nodded with his hands deep in the pockets of his trousers. "…Pansy is an absolute monster in the mornings. A total witch if you pardon the pun of course. All those bloody women are you know, the Greengrass sisters and their friend…she's the worst of them all, Tracey Davis. She's the one to look out for believe me. One time she nearly choked me out when I woke her accidently as I was leaving a bit too early." Raising an eyebrow at him he returned the gesture and shrugged. "What?"

"Nothing Malfoy," I said diplomatically, before walking into the Great Hall for the first time that day. I noted the absence of every student and even most of the teachers, except for a few scattered around it was pretty much empty. Walking towards the usual table I was hardly surprised when Malfoy followed me and sat across from me.

"I feel like a bit of bacon and eggs today," he explained, reaching for a cup of tea first however. I pushed the bowl of scrambled eggs towards him and he toasted his mug lightly in gratitude. "First snow of the year today."

I nodded, looking up and out of the windows. "I'll probably go out for a walk later."

"Why in the name of Merlin would you do that? It's cold, ice cold mind you, and you'd get all wet from the blasted snow."

I laughed, genuinely laughed, before seeing his look. I reached up and pulled at the already wrinkled red and gold tie. "Because it's fun Malfoy, relaxing even being completely secluded in nature, just you out there with the snow falling down around you. Once, way before I knew I was a wizard, probably when I was about seven I think, I snuck out of my cub-my room and just walked in the snow for hours. Never felt more relaxed really."

Malfoy looked at me for a moment before he began to pile food onto his plate, at least he was eating I thought, and then looked back up at me. I thought for a moment he was going to comment on my stuttering about my room, I almost started to sweat when he went in a different direction than I expected. "I was never allowed to go out into the snow or rain for that matter, mother always said it wasn't proper."

"Well of course not, that's why it's fun," I took a bite out of a bacon strip as I spoke, he listened quietly and seemed to contemplate my words before I gestured towards him. Positively relieved I didn't have to explain anything about my first 'bedroom'. "You can come with me if you like."

"I may take you up on that offer," he explained before going back to his breakfast. I too returned to my breakfast and the next ten or so minutes it was quiet while we ate. Once and a while we would share a glance and one time he raised his glass again to toast it, I laughed and did the same.

Where did our friendship come from? Well I'm not so sure it's a friendship rather than two people simply sharing each other's company. It all started way back in July, the trails had been finished and I had spoken on behalf of Malfoy and his mother, as well as Pansy Parkinson and a few other Slytherins…though only Malfoy knows I spoke on his behalf since I interrupted the trial in true Dumbledore fashion. Since then we had met up for drink once or twice before school started, I had returned his wand to him and offered to help repair his family's mansion but Malfoy had politely declined in favor of leaving the mansion for good. No place would take him in and so I awkwardly extended an invitation to stay at the cottage up in some isolated Scottish village, a property I had recently discovered I owned, for the duration of the summer. After a day or two he owled me and accepted. Somehow, when we got to school, it became almost natural to meet up in the morning and share early breakfasts or go to the kitchens for a late meal. While doing so we chatted about nothing in particular.

"Did you hear me Potter?"

I looked up from my plate. "No, sorry, what did you say?"

"I said I feel like this year is different."

Taking a sip of orange juice I found myself unable to disagree with him. "That's true-"

He looked like he wanted to talk more on the subject and I couldn't blame him on that, I quickly discovered once he got comfortable around someone he was incredibly hard to shut up. There had been times when I said goodbye at least three times and yet he kept talking, I didn't know he actually had so much to say, in all the years I knew him before the war I couldn't even say we actually spoke once when it wasn't arguing or calling each other names. But I knew I couldn't get too annoyed by it, he had no one to talk to and it was quickly becoming apparent I didn't either.

"Hello Harry Potter…" the dreamy voice of Luna met my ears and I turned to face her with a smile. "…and hello Draco, it is pleasant to see you overcoming your furniturephobia."

Draco frowned and watched as Luna skipped down to her own table and began to dig into her own breakfast. He looked down at himself a little self-consciously before looking back up at me to see me laughing quietly, holding a piece of toast in my hand.

"What the devil was she talking about?" Malfoy demanded.

"Relax Malfoy."

Malfoy and I had split up at the Great Hall with the intent to take a walk down by the lake later that evening. We stayed until most people were getting up and heading down to breakfast, he left the table before any of my housemates saw and when he did, I decided I was in need of a walk before my first class. He had a free period while I was stuck having to head to one of the classes I actively despised; Divination. But there was one good thing about that class, because Voldemort was killed, she didn't keep prophesizing my death every two days. She was one of the professors who generally ignored me now, I sat at the far back and to the right, and I was alone in the class as Ron had finally dropped it just as Hermione had all those years ago. Thinking of them, I never saw them come down to breakfast before I left, must have really been running late that morning.

It was still snowing when I took my seat, I took my robe off and set it on the chair beside me so now I wore only my white button up and tie. I rolled up my sleeves and leaned back, preparing to snooze through this class until a girl came up and sat beside me. I peered over and saw it was Pansy Parkinson. I was surprised she walked over to me, after her much public attempt to hand me over a few months ago it seemed as though she avoided me at all costs, even after she was pardoned…which I helped do of course yet she didn't know…I was like a leper or something.

"You need to come with me right now," she said quickly, gathering my robe in her arms and grabbing my backpack. Her hair was pulled up in a hurried bun while her robes seemed disheveled as if she had been running, she was breathing heavily too. I could tell she was attempting to keep from causing a scene but it wasn't working too well.

"Why?" I asked stupidly, standing up from the table as she stood. I blinked in confusion because she had a tear in her eye. "Alright let's go!"

Without waiting for any allowance from the professor, who I doubted had any idea of the scene we were making in our hurried escape, we charged out of the classroom. Along the way I stuffed my robe into my backpack, not wanting to carry it and for some reason I was unbearably hot. Pansy seemed to have a destination in mind and after seven years of being in the castle I knew exactly where she was going, for some reason she was leading me to the hospital wing. I tried several times to talk to her but she ignored me, as we got closer she began to run and students and teachers in the hall began to stare. I pushed past Ginny, nearly knocking her into a Ravenclaw student I'd never seen before, all I saw was dark brown hair.

She rushed through the open doors and down towards the very last bed. I slid to a halt with another confused look on my face. Hermione stood near the bed talking to the Headmistress while on the bed lay Draco Malfoy. I turned and saw Ron sitting on another bed with his head down looking at the floor and for a moment I thought Ron had hurt Malfoy before I realized he must have been on patrol with Hermione. Pansy was concerned and pushed by Hermione, taking Malfoy's hand gently, he wasn't awake and I knew he wasn't faking. I took a step closer and saw just how bad he was.

He reminded me of the beatings I would receive when I was little. His face was bruised, blacks and blues and purples covered nearly every inch of his face while his right arm was in a sling, peering more closer I was willing to bet he would be receiving treatment for a broken limb. Walking next to the bed I saw bruises running up his arm and when pulled back the sleeve I saw the bruises went up much farther. In addition to his arm in a sling his leg was nestled gently on two pillows. His breathing was ragged to say the least.

"What happened…" I asked quietly.

Professor McGonagall frowned and walked towards the bed, Hermione followed behind. "My dear he was attacked while walking through a corridor on the other side of the school. Someone must have put a silencing charm on him for no one heard him scream."

I raised my eyebrows at that. "Attacked him? Why? He's pardoned."

"We know mate…" Ron said, standing up. I looked at him and he seemed distant. "…we don't know why."

Pansy began to cry on the other side of the bed. "Well maybe we should find out!"

I nodded. "I agree completely, what's being done about it?"

Hermione had her thinking face on and stepped before McGonagall. "We could start with questioning people who saw him last and go from there but there isn't much we can do to be honest."

"If he was one of your precious heroes another war would be being waged Granger, this is wrong and he needs to get justice!" Pansy shouted at Hermione, who looked as though she was ready to argue and began to say something when Ron sighed and pulled Hermione away.

"She isn't worth it Hermione," he said to her and Pansy scoffed.

"Both of you relax…" McGonagall ordered. "…my dear we will do anything to help find his attacker or attackers. Believe me when I say that Miss Parkinson, he will receive the best care and we will began questioning students and portraits immediately. Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger will you come with me please."

They left the hospital wing without another word and I was left with two Slytherins, not entirely sure why Pansy had gone out of her way to bring me down here. She seemed as though her crying would never cease and well Malfoy wasn't exactly going to wake up so I began to leave, there was nothing for me to do there anyway when she abruptly looked up and nearly shouted at me.

"Potter!" is what she yelled. I know, totally original.

I stopped and turned. "What?"

"I need your help."

"With what?"

I don't really know why but she looked up at me with the saddest expression I had ever seen, it was honest and vulnerable. With her black hair falling over her eyes and her light eyes brimming with tears, make-up running down her face, it was hard to look away. I stepped back towards the bed without looking away.

"Please…" she whispered, bringing Draco's hand closer to her.

"You want me to find the person who did this?" I asked hesitantly.

She nodded. "He trusts you, s-so I trust you. I don't trust Granger or Weasley. They don't care about us, they don't care about him, and they certainly don't care that we aren't criminals. To them we're scum. Why would they care to help?"

To be honest…I was beyond conflicted. Here I was standing in front of a mangled Draco Malfoy while my "friends" were supposed to investigate this attack with the Headmistress and one of inner circle of Slytherin was asking for my help. I ran a hand through my hair and frowned at her but after a moment I found myself unable to give a worthy enough answer and so I numbly nodded and then began to leave.

"And Potter!" Parkinson called from her seat.

I stopped, turned and took a step forward. "Yes?"

Pansy stood and walked over, she wiped her eyes. "I managed to get it approved to have Draco moved to his dorm later today, no one but me and McGonagall know this. I think something bigger is going on, I don't know what but I don't trust anybody enough to have Draco stay here."

What was I supposed to do? Where would I even start? And then a strange thought over took my mind. If someone did attack Malfoy, or someone, could I trust anyone? One thing I did know was that I needed advice.

Malfoy had told me about it and after a while I had gone down myself to clear the past with a certain fellow, a former enemy. It was in a very far off and secluded section of the school which I think he would have wanted anyway. The painting had been there for decades but now he visited it almost daily, just sitting in the field of flowers, lilies to be exact.

"Ah Potter of course you would show up to ruin my walk today," Severus Snape said as he placed his hands behind his back and walked more towards the front of the painting. He seemed happy.

I sat against the opposite wall. Well slid down it more or less and he seemed to take that as a bad sign because he raised an eyebrow…believe me that's a lot of emotion and effort.

"What is it?" he asked, his tone a bit gentler. "Does it have to do with know-it-alls and weasels?"

I shook my head. "Malfoy was attacked by someone or a group of people."

"What? Is he alright? Is he alive? Who did it? How hurt is he?"

"He's banged up but being cared for, he should be alright in a few weeks. Parkinson is with him right now."

Snape seemed extremely concerned yet when I mentioned Parkinson he seemed to relax some. "And from your attitude I seem to get the feeling you are showing some concern."

"Yes I am, he's my…" I hesitated as I tasted the words on my tongue. "...my friend."

A laugh came from his mouth even though the topic was dire.

"That Potter is something I never would have thought. You see he isn't so evil after all? He was just a child thrown into a hellish situation. Enough of that however. Tell me more about this attack and leave nothing out."

After I was finished with my tale, and doing as he asked to not leave anything out, he seemed to be deep in thought for a moment before he even reacted to it. He began to pace in his field of flowers for a while, I didn't know how long or how short of a time but I sat there and watched a painting of a man pace in a painting of a field.

"And you accepted to help her?"

I nodded weakly. "Yes but I don't know what I can do, if anything."

Snape sighed. "You are so like your father with the whining, you can do anything Potter, you are the so-called Chosen-One. You're telling me that Granger had all the brains? Merlin you will be a useless Auror."

"I'm not going to be an Auror any more, I turned down their offer after the war. Don't know what I'll be but I won't be working for them."

"My, my, you have changed."

Ignoring his statement I stood from the floor and walked closer. "I don't know what I should do! I don't even know how I could even help him!"

"You did seem to have a knack for getting into trouble with your cloak of yours, surely you could do something with that once again."

I frowned. "I actually don't have it."

"What!" Snape shouted in disbelief. "You lost one of the Hallows you stupid boy?"

"What? No, no, of course not. I gave it Luna Lovegood to watch over."

Snape's eyebrow peaked again as he went silent. "Did you now? And why did you do such a thing?"

"Because Snape…" I said quietly and with my eyes shut. "…I don't trust myself with the Hallows. I lost the stone and snapped the wand, the cloak was the only thing left. After the war I was afraid of who I may become. I got rid of the wand to make sure I couldn't hurt anyone and the cloak…I didn't want to be corrupted by those things. I wanted to be normal for once. I gave it to Luna because she is innocent and brave. She would never abuse it."

"Potter you always have to be dramatic don't you?" Snape sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "Tell me how you'd be corrupted by your cloak?"

"A lot has changed since I was eleven."

Snape shook his head. "Even as a painting Potter I can tell you're hiding the answer."

"I am afraid I still have Him inside my head."

Nodding, Snape looked at me truly for the first time during this talk. "He is gone Potter, whatever is in your head is completely you. That cloak belongs to you, do not be fearful of it. Giving it to Lovegood would be smart, but you need it. You seem as though he accepted to help my godson only because Pansy was crying. Let me remind you of a time when I truly thought you made a wrong decision. Your sixth year you nearly killed Mr. Malfoy, would have in fact if I had not saved his life. Do you not think back and wish you had done differently?"

I stepped back from the painting and blinked. I hadn't even thought about that for months, years even. I did almost kill him and what did I do? I went and hid my book, so selfish and uncaring. I made a book more important than saving a life. He was a death eater sure…but he was a teenager like me.

"Help him Potter, do right by him. He seems to trust you, for whatever reason, he has told me several times in fact."

"Parkinson said the same thing."

Snape nodded. "He tells her everything."

"Where should I start?"

After a moment Snape looked up at me again. "We will begin to try and find some reason as to why a person or persons would hurt him."

"We?" I asked him.

"He is my godson boy, I will do what I can." He looked at me a moment longer before a new question popped into his mind. "Are you not supposed to be in class?"

I shrugged and spoke honestly. "No one will notice."

"Anything is possible I suppose, look Potter, you obviously care more about Draco than you let on. Maybe what you need is to break away and discover just who you are in this new life. Your friends are ignoring you-"

"How did you…Malfoy?"

Snape nodded. "He seems to give you a great deal of thought. Whatever you did to make him come round, I fully believe you might have saved his life Potter at least for the time being. I think if you do intend to help Miss Parkinson you must become independent of the things hindering you. You say you are afraid of being like Him then prove you are not. Help Malfoy, help your former rival."

"Harry we need to talk," Hermione commanded as I walked into the common room after classes had finished for the day. I didn't do much schoolwork nor did I really pay attention all that much, my mind was on Malfoy and oddly enough Pansy Parkinson as well. Hermione was standing with her arms crossed over her chest and Ron sat on the couch behind her, I saw Ginny sitting close by.

"What about Hermione?"

She frowned. "You've been ignoring us for days now and then Malfoy is suddenly attacked and Pug-Face Parkinson rushes into the Hospital Wing, her robes all messed up and pulling you along?"

"Are you seeing her?" Ginny fired out.

I laughed and gestured to Ginny. "Excuse me? Are you giving me an intervention? Why would you care anyway Ginny? Last time I remembered you were the one seeing someone else."

She looked hurt for a moment but held her tongue, I half-expected Ron to say something in her defense but he simply sat there watching. I don't know what has gotten into him lately but he seemed much more quiet and calm lately, almost as if he was silently observing a chess match. Hermione shook her head at me and walked over to Ginny, placing a hand on her shoulder. A few of the other students in the room turned to look, I saw Dean sitting next to Neville; they both looked concerned.

"Harry she made a mistake, there is no need to hurt her feelings. We've noticed you've been spending quite a lot of time with Malfoy, and you even had him stay at one of your properties, what is going on with you?"

Ignoring her attempt to rile me up by mentioning 'hurt feelings', I turned to glare at Hermione as something Pansy said dawned on me. "Why aren't you searching the corridor still? There are always clues to be found, that's something we all learned."

"Professor McGonagall has assured us that the professors will be doing the search while we make sure students are being protected."

I waved my arms. "I don't see any other student hurt, do you? Why only Malfoy? Why was a former death eater the only one to get hurt? And before you say anything, if someone really wanted to hurt other students they would have had the chance too by now, so take that shite back and tell me why you aren't out there helping?"

Ron spoke to me for the first time during the argument. "Why do you care so much about Malfoy, mate? He betrayed all of us, he fought against us, he tried to kill us, Dumbledore, and he tried to-"

"Protect his damn family Ron, he was protecting his family!" I shouted, pointing my finger at him with a scowl on my face. "Are you going to stand there and tell me you wouldn't have done the same if you were in his position? He tried to do what he thought was right!"

Ginny looked in pain. "You don't know what he did to us while you were gone."

"Oh really? Well let me tell you something that he did do. When we got captured, he pretended not to know us, any of us. Pretended that he couldn't recognize us. He saved our bloody lives and you're standing here not giving a damn about how he was attacked after Professor McGonagall specifically told Parkinson-"

Ginny stood from the chair. "Why do you keep bringing Pug-face up? What has she done to you?"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" I yelled, stepping forward with fire in my eyes, my previous train of thought forgotten as I confronted Ginny's claims. "What is this? Why are you confronting me now? I want answers."

The common room was silent now, around twenty eyes were staring at me as though I was about to curse Hermione or Ginny, I spotted Neville stand as did Dean and across the room Seamus but they stood where they were. Ron was now watching me very carefully, the snow that had been falling had given way to rain and it now pelted the windows. Walking towards them closer Ron finally stood and stepped in front of me while Neville sped over behind me.

"Calm down mate," Ron commanded, his hands were balled into fists at his side and he seemed like he was ready to fight.

I breathed in deeply and looked around, seeing Neville with his wand out and Hermione too. "What is your problem? Are you going to hex me? Curse me? For eating breakfast with Malfoy? For having a conversation with Parkinson? You think maybe you should be out there looking for the people who hurt Malfoy instead of trying to intimidate me?"

"They aren't the ones who drew their wand first Harry," Neville spoke up from behind me. When he spoke I turned and shot a weird look his way before I felt something in my hand, it felt oddly like my wand. Glancing down, my wand was in my hand, ready for use. I stepped back and stared at it. I didn't even know I had drawn it.

"Would you really have hurt us?" Hermione asked, I could see a tear in her eye, she seemed genuinely fearful. I slid my wand back into the arm holster and backed up away from everyone, it felt like second year and fourth year and fifth year, all the staring and murmuring, all of the secret looks, they were afraid of me.

"Of course not," I muttered.

Ginny shook her head. "I don't know you anymore. First you're speaking up for known enemies, then giving homes to them, and now you're best-friends with the one who almost killed Dumbledore? And probably shagging the Pug-face too."

"Who told you about Malfoy almost killing Dumbledore? I never-" I looked at Ron and Hermione, my face dropping and my anger rising once again. "…what else have you told her? Have you told our lives to anyone who would listen? Some of the things I told you were supposed to be just that for you! What else have you said?"

Hermione started crying. "Harry please…"

"Tell me!" I shouted and charged forward with an intent to question them further when Ron intercepted me and grabbed my shirt by the collar. He pushed me back and I tripped over a foot rest, we both toppled over, as we fell he shouted in my face.

"Don't ever try to hurt-ah!" he screeched in pain when he rolled over me and his face hit the very edge of the fire, his screams consumed the common room and there was a mass of people rushing toward him. I felt arms grab me as I tried to lunge for him to help but they dragged me away and I started yelling for them to stop. Dean and Seamus picked Ron up and rushed him out of the common room with Hermione and Ginny behind them, Neville kneeled down next to me as I tried to stand but he kept me down.

"We all saw Harry, he pushed you," Demelza told me as she placed a handkerchief to the wound on the back of my head from where it hit the floor. Neville kept me down, but I was in no mood to fight him, besides not a single one of them could defeat me if they tried. Demelza eventually helped me sit up and gave Neville a very pointed glare and he stood, when he did so I saw something on the edge of his wrist but it looked like an ink splotch so I thought nothing of it. Demelza helped me to my feet and then gave me a weak smile. "Are you alright?"

I nodded but when I took a step I grimaced and held a hand to my head.

"We should get you to the Hospital Wing," she said and began to lead me away. I saw Neville standing in front of the students, all of them standing behind him, my last sight of them was one student putting a hand on Neville's shoulder which I thought was sort of odd.

"Thanks," I told her after a few moments of walking down the nearly abandoned corridors, she was leading me through the long way towards the Hospital Wing but I didn't mind, probably to put some time between us and Ron's group.

Demelza glanced up at me, yeah I was short but she was a bit shorter. She had dark brown hair, darker than I remembered from sixth year, and she seemed a bit pale but then again she always really did. She seemed thinner now, the last year couldn't have been easy on her just like anyone else. "You looked like you needed someone to back you up? It wasn't right what they did."

"Welcome to my life," I tried to joke but she frowned. "Honestly though, thank you."

She smiled. "You're welcome Harry, I don't know what is up with them but hopefully they will come around eventually."

I shrugged to her. "I'm not sure, they seemed set on making me the bad guy back there."

"I don't understand what the fuss is, sure Malfoy did bad things but so did we in that battle, we all did a lot to survive. Why aren't they feeling remorse for saying those things about Malfoy or Pansy? Ginny was even going after Astoria Greengrass and she was nowhere near the battle, I know because she was with me."

Demelza kept walking and I turned to look her over. She seemed like she had matured considerably, to tell you the truth I had never really talked to her about anything other than out on the pitch but now I was interested by her seemingly sudden loyalty to me. Something about it though nagged at my brain, for too long I had been too trusting, too easy to forgive. As I looked at her she seemed genuine but what if she was a part of this…this conspiracy? I needed to test her trust.

"Demelza…" I stopped, she kept going, but I grasped her arm and forced her to stop. "…can I trust you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Harry I know you and I don' really know each other but yes, yes you can."

I smiled gently and then instead of heading off to the Hospital Wing I set off for a much different route. We descended the corridors, cutting through passageways and short-cuts, until we came to the very bottom of the school. We were in the Dungeons.

"Umm Harry…why are we down here?"

I moved forwards to the wall where I knew the Slytherin common room was and I placed my hand upon the wall and whispered the password. The hidden door swung open and we were presented with a plush and posh common room that was once the center of life for a Slytherin. The tapestries and rugs were still very richly made yet everything seemed to be a bit dimmer, not as boisterous. A lot of students, younger ones and older ones, were seated around the common room in the middle of school work and other things, at first unaware of our presence. However when I stepped in I found Blaise looking at me with a confused expression before he stood and marched over to us.

"Potter? Robins? What the bloody hell do you think you're doing? This isn't your dormitory, you aren't welcome here," Blaise said in a very careful and practiced voice. He put a hand out to stop me but I ignored him, took Demelza's hand, and walked forward until I came to the stairs leading to the dormitories. Looking back I saw the Slytherins were watching our every move very carefully, a few had their wands out. I ignored them too and looked at Demelza.

"Wait here okay?"

She gave me a look.

"They won't hurt you, will they Blaise?" I called out.

Demelza shifted her gaze to the dark skinned Slytherin just in time for him to shake his head. "No, no, they won't. We aren't going to hurt a friend of Malfoy's."

I nodded at him and then started up the stairs without another word. My heart was beating in my chest. I was beginning to think I was playing a very dangerous game here. I didn't understand what exactly was going on but I knew I needed to get to the bottom of this to help Malfoy out like Snape said. No matter what, I was convinced of this.

"Parkinson…" I said aloud. "…can I come in?"

From beside Malfoy, sitting on his bed, Pansy looked up at me and her mood seemed to change. She stood from her place and nodded, yet when she saw the blood on my scalp she walked over, grabbed me by the arm and pushed me down on the nearest bed.

"Who did this to you?" she asked in a concerned voice, which surprised me. "Did this happen because of what I asked you to do?"

I shrugged at her. "Sort of I guess. I got into an argument with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in the middle of the common room. Everyone was there basically. Ron pushed me back and I fell, he hit the fire and they took him to the Hospital Wing. Demelza Robins is down the stairs there, I think she can help us."

Pansy stepped back and then looked down. I studied her for a moment. She had pale skin, but it wasn't a pale that looked off-putting or sickly, it was a gentle paleness that gave quite a bit of beauty to her. Her hair was tied back into a ponytail and her eyes had tears in them but now she seemed determined, fierce even. My eyes travelled up her body, she wore her school skirt and her white blouse, her tie was hanging nearly untied around her neck. I had never really looked at her before.

"Potter?" she spoke my name timidly, holding her arms across her chest, the fierceness giving way to a shy side I never knew she had. "Maybe we can save that for another day or something and stay on topic?"

"I'm sorry!" I yelped, standing up and stepping away from her. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, uh I um…"

She smiled a white toothy smile. "It's alright."

A minute or two of awkward silence followed before I decided to do what I came here to do. I walked over to Malfoy with Pansy following behind closely. Malfoy looked a bit better, most of the bruises were still there though they seemed to have been healed a bit which was a very good thing.

"This may seem farfetched…but I think there's a conspiracy here."

Pansy leaned her head against the bed post, her arms across her chest yet again and her head cocked to the side. "A conspiracy? How so? And by who? Worse still, whose being targeted and for what reason?"

Looking down at Malfoy I moved the sleeve of his left arm up and then pointed at the grotesque image upon his arm. No more was the dark mark but in its place was a series of straight scars that ran across his skin, they were old, about a month or two ago. I pointed to where the mark would be and looked at her.

"Anyone who bears this mark and didn't go to Azkaban," I said aloud.

Pansy however frowned at the scars. "You knew of these?"

"Unfortunately, he did that when I allowed him to stay at one of my properties. I bandaged up his arm when I found him on the bathroom floor."

She smiled weakly. "Thankfully you were there I suppose, or else I would be frightened to see how far he would take it."

Malfoy stirred but he did not wake. Pansy ran a hand across his forehead, brushing his bangs out of the way of his eyes. She laughed silently before it became a fit of tears.

"He always hated how his hair got in his eyes," she told me as I stood to the side looking at her in a sympathetic way. Awkwardly I reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder, at first she grew rigid at my touch but then I felt her small hand grip mine ever so lightly.

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this," I announced. "I think Slytherins are in trouble from the rest of the houses, I think there is a gang or organization working out there that would be similar to the DA but they are seeming a bit more hostile. I can't be certain of anything yet but I think Hermione and Ginny are involved, possibly Neville, who knows it could be all of my house involved in it. Maybe even Ron."

"What do you think their cause is? To hurt us?"

I shrugged. "Possibly to hunt down the remaining death eaters? I don't know to be honest but I think my 'friends' are the key."

"What will you do to them?" she asked me slightly nervous of the answer.

I glanced sideways at her. "Firstly I'm going to follow them and see what I can find out, then I'm going to decide from there. I can have Demelza help me."

"You trust her?"

I shook my head after glancing at the door. "Not completely, she seemed a bit too eager to help me, but a good way to test her loyalty is to give her a bit of info here and a bit there to see what gets spread around. In the mean time I'll ask her to watch the common room and if anything weird happens. That's why I brought her here but told her to wait down there, I don't know if she's honest."

"That's very Slytherin of you Potter," Parkinson confessed.

With a laugh I shrugged off her comment. "The hat wanted to put me in Slytherin…maybe I'm finally figuring it all out."

"Be c-careful please," she muttered.

With one last look towards Malfoy I left.

I must be entirely truthful with you, despite my conscious telling me it might not have been the right thing to do, I was completely using Demelza as a way to 'leak' what I had supposedly been doing to Hermione and Ginny, of course Ron too. I had no way of knowing if that was what she was doing or if she was keeping my secrets, the only thing I did know was that Ron stayed in the hospital wing for almost a full week. In that time I visited Malfoy regularly in the Slytherin Common Room, I was not hindered by Blaise or even Theodore Nott, one who I believed would be my strongest opponent. However all of them seemed just as concerned for Malfoy as Pansy and so let me come and go freely without hindrance.

I have to confess as well that I became obsessed with Malfoy's attack and the fact no one else was since. I went to the corridor later that night without Demelza or Snape, even without my cloak, I was walking up and down it for hours until I concluded whatever had been here it was gone. Irritatingly there was only one portrait in this corridor, it had not been used for quite some time, and the portrait was just a painting of a patch of the night sky with three blue dots at the center that formed a triangle with a bit of imagination. I stood in front of it for ten minutes just staring but nothing happened. I left empty handed and displeased.

I followed Hermione and Ginny, even Neville who I found to be acting strangely as well. At first I did so without my cloak, I walked unseen amongst the crowds of students and watched them in classes, I watched as they took notes or ate, I watched them from across the grounds while they took walks or talked while sitting on benches. My behavior had only worsened in classes because of it, I hardly slept, I didn't do homework and I didn't study. I sat there and took notes, but not for the classes, I took notes of what I knew and what I needed to find out. I knew Hermione and Ginny were definitely up to something, and that's where the cloak came in. I used it every night, I stayed underneath it constantly while they were on patrol, Ginny having been made a prefect along with Ron, as Hermione was Head Girl of course. I began to eat only what I needed and did so in the company of the House Elves, mainly Kreacher who I had asked to help as well. He was all too happy to search through Hermione's things, he returned with nothing of interest saying she only had books in her trunk along with clothes. Ron's trunk I searched myself, ignoring his privacy and that of Dean's, Seamus', and Neville's. I found nothing. I waited and watched the professors but nothing was happening, it was…normal.

Demelza meanwhile had become sort of a friend to me. She would sit with me while I ate and in classes she would sit beside me, I half expected people to spread rumors we were dating but I never heard them. We investigated the corridor several times, sometimes with Snape and most times without. We retraced Malfoy's steps but found nothing at all. She began to worry about me, and after a few days I could see she meant it, it was not an act. I told her things about Malfoy, told her how he'd been in a hard life and how I tried to help him, hoped I did. She seemed to respect me, seemed to care, I developed a caring for her and understood when school work or Quidditch practice got in the way.

I began to watch Slytherins when the days went on and nothing new was happening. Nott and Blaise were womanizers, smooth talkers, and smart….but they were cowards and afraid. They travelled in twos, always in twos, never a step ahead or a step behind the other. A group of Slytherins followed them, Astoria Greengrass was one of them, her sister Daphne always at her side. One person I watched more than anyone else was Pansy; when I visited Malfoy I would sit at the end of the bed opposite his and watch Pansy take care of him, smooth out his hair and smile at him when he began to recover and I would grow worried when she saw him struggle, it wasn't hard to see it but he had come close to death. She cried, I held her, she laughed and I smiled. I brought Malfoy food every day, I told her I was alright when she knew I wasn't. She didn't leave the common room much and when she did I ordered Nott and Blaise to go with her, they took my orders without hesitation, she smiled when I said I wanted to make sure she was safe, they remained silent when I did so.

I looked into the mirror the other day, when I went to the bathroom to be alone. My eyes were gaunt behind my glasses and my face seemed pale, my hair was long and as unwieldly as ever. My hand felt strange, I let go of the sink and it shook violently, frowning, I tightened my fist until it stopped but it never did. After that I didn't look in mirrors.

Days and days passed and nothing was happening, it was too normal and too perfect. I needed to find out what was happening but nothing was there to be found. Like I said, everything was normal…and that frightened me.

"You need a break," Pansy told me when I visited Malfoy one night, he was sleeping, almost fully recovered by now and the need for my visits were for naught, I simply did it because it allowed me the chance to rest. She sat beside me on Blaise's bed, holding my hand. "You've pushed yourself too far."

"I promised you I would find out what happened."

"I know that Harry…" she said quietly, looking up at me. "…I only hope it didn't make things worse."

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

"Are you sure?"

"I keep going because my promise means something to me and because I'm doing it for you and for him."

Pansy smiled at me from beneath her long black hair. "Thank you Harry."

Glancing to my right I tightened my grip lightly. "Of course Pansy."

Her smile lasted until I left…I wished I stayed longer.

We were walking down the corridor, Demelza and I, and it was around dinnertime the day after my night sitting with Pansy; most people were in the Great Hall feasting while I and my friend were strolling. She seemed extra worried as of late and, in my attempt to prove to her I was not I decided to take a walk with her and chat about random things. I was beginning to enjoy her presence. She was walking near me with a sweater on while I wore one as well, it was ragged and from my time on the run.

"Have you been sleeping?" she asked me quietly.

I shrugged at her words. "Sometimes I sleep for a few hours, most times I study my notes."

"Do you think maybe it's time we stop this?"

I stopped walking. "No."

"There hasn't been another attack and it's been almost three weeks, surely something would have happened by now don't you think, Harry?"

"They could be onto us, they could be waiting for one of us to slip."

Demelza frowned and took a step back. "Harry, who could that who be? How long have we been at it? How long have we tried in vain to help Malfoy? We have nothing, this spying and following people has gotten us nowhere. What else can we honestly do to help him?"

"I don't know yet but I am going to find out with or without you," I told her harshly and began to walk away. She didn't follow and I stopped, I had something to say. "Before you make a judgement call on me, before you get offended, just understand that one time I did something to him that I have to make-up for, I owe it to him. So you can go back to the common room if that's where you want to be, or better yet go to the Great Hall and feast with the others, I don't give a bloody damn."

Demelza had tears at her eyes, I was seething with anger and she knew it. In all honesty she really hadn't said anything that bad, nothing new that I hadn't thought of myself. But I wasn't willingly to give up on Malfoy because I couldn't find my way.

"Demelza-"

"Stop Harry, just stop," she told me as she brought her right arm up and brushed back a strand of hair. It was then I saw something on her wrist, from a far it looked like a blotch of ink but the more I studied it the more it looked like a tiny triangle. The same that Neville had on his arm, the same triangle that was spotted on the painting in the corridor Malfoy was attacked. She was one of them. My eyes softened and my shoulders slumped, my heart breaking. I backed up against the wall of the corridor and shook my head.

"No…" I said, it was barely a whisper.

Demelza turned and her eyes widened when the triangle was exposed. She lowered her arm and stepped towards me with her arms out as if to pull me into a hug. The tear at her eye began to fall and it fell fast. I shook my head at her, mouthing the word 'no' again and again before my rage over took me. I rushed forward and grabbed her arms, I gripped down tightly and scowled at her; she broke under my gaze and strength and began to cry harder.

"Why?" I snapped.

She didn't answer, only cried. I looked around and saw an empty classroom to my left. I pushed her forward and she stumbled into the room, falling to the ground. I closed the door, locked it with a charm, and then used another to silence the room. I turned and saw her crying, holding her arms around her chest.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, looking up at me.

I reached down and grabbed her shoulders, dragging her up, I pushed her against the wall. "I trusted you! I thought you were helping me Demelza! I thought you were my friend! I trusted you!"

She didn't fight me or deny it.

"Who are they? What do they want?" I yelled.

Again she remained silent.

"Answer me now…" I told her. "…Draco was hurt, I want to know why. They almost killed him, did you know that? I don't care you're crying, I don't care I hurt you! I want answers and I want to know why my friend was attacked. Answer me now!"

As I yelled a desk across the room shattered into a thousand small splinters.

"Please…" she muttered, and that's when I backed away. I looked down at my hands, how they shook and ached, my eyes glanced up at her and she was sliding down the wall crying and begging for forgiveness. Demelza hugged herself as she cried and I felt ashamed, scared, and hurt. I kneeled down beside her and reached out to her. She fell into my arms and cried. "…I'm sorry."

"Why did you do it?"

She spoke against my chest. "I thought it was a worthy cause, I thought they were right."

"Who?"

"The Triumphant…" Demelza confessed. "…a group of students and professors, of aurors and parents. They united to forever keep dark magic locked away, former death eaters were included in that. But for them they had special ideas on how to handle them. I joined during the summer, I thought it was worthy."

I shook my head. It was unbelievably to think professors and parents would allow such things to happen to students. My anger rose as I slowly understood what was going on in the castle, no Slytherin was safe. The only course of action was to do the one thing that would keep them safe, get them out of the castle as fast as possible. I couldn't wait, there hadn't been another attack but there was no way to tell for sure, it had to be tonight.

"Are Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Neville in the group?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"When did they join? Tell me!"

Demelza rubbed her wrist. "They helped start it."

I didn't know them anymore.

"Who is its leader?"

"I don't know, there are many leaders. Hogwarts has its own leader but I don't know who it is, only the Lieutenants do."

"You were told to spy on me?"

Demelza nodded. "They think you're going dark, that you're becoming…"

"Him."

"Yes."

I let go of her, she wasn't crying as hard anymore, and I ran my hand through my hair. "Tell me everything you know and then I want you to do something important."

"What's that?"

"You're going to hide in the one place I know you'll be safe."

"The Room of-"

I shook my head. "No, I think you'll find Luna strolling the grounds right now, she'll help."

"Where should I start?"

"At the beginning."

I walked down the corridors, leading to the Great Hall. My hand ran across the castle wall as I walked, I probably wouldn't see it much again. I didn't know what would happen but I knew it wouldn't be good. Demelza had told me everything as we headed down to where I knew Luna would be. I told Luna what she needed to do and told her that we…that we would be leaving Hogwarts. She smiled at me and asked if we would be flying like the old times, I told her some would yes. Now I was alone, I was tired and alone and ready for what was to come. The doors were open, I walked through and stopped, after a moment or two people started to look up and the murmurs began.

"Have something to say Potter?" I heard someone shout and I nodded. I saw Pansy and Nott and Blaise, the Greengrass sisters, and then I saw Malfoy. He sat at the center of them all with them flanking him, protecting him. He seemed worried.

"I do."

"What about Mr. Potter?" Professor McGonagall questioned, she seemed stiff and rigid, as if she was disturbed by my presence.

I stepped forward. "I know."

"You know what Mr. Potter?" she asked me, looking around as if someone else would give her the answer.

"Next time you want someone to spy on me…" I heard a few gasps and a grunts of anger, Hermione tried to stand but Ron held her down but to no avail. "…make sure they don't have your tattoo."

Hermione stood along with a few others that were scattered about the room. I saw Ginny stand after a second of hesitation, they had their wands drawn, at the ready. The Slytherins were putting their forks down, not sure of what would happen.

"Where is Demelza?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"You're lying!" Ginny shouted.

"Am I Ginny?"

Dean stood in the isle between the houses and pointed at me threateningly. "Where is she Potter?"

"No one will harm Draco or any other Slytherin."

"Screw them…where is Demelza?"

I sighed, shrugged, and then glanced around. "What do you do with spies? You kill them."

Hermione shook her head. "No! Damn you Harry! You're choosing the wrong side, he doesn't deserve to be free, and he deserves to be locked away, to be forgotten. None of them deserve to live after what they did, after what they were involved in."

"And yet you tried to kill him. Where's the justice in that? Who ordered you to do that?" I demanded.

No one spoke, it was quiet. Around me the Great Hall was absolutely quiet, everyone looked at everyone and no one took the responsibility. I took my wand out and raised it an inch or two. Hermione and a few others reacted by doing the same.

"I'm waiting…Ron."

I heard a fork being placed on the table, the sound of robes moving, and then a sigh as Ron stood at the center of the walkway between the two tables. His face was scarred and partially deformed from the embers, unable to be fixed in time. He stared at me silently while I watched him.

"I don't care about the why, or when, all I care about is that you betrayed me," I said to him. "You were my brother."

He shook his head. "No Harry you betrayed us by helping that murderer, all of them. We will cleanse this earth of their scum and we will start it here. You were always the cause of our concern, we were frightened of your misguidedness. You even began to care for them instead of hate them."

"I'm sorry…" I said loudly. "…but I couldn't stand by and watch as their lives were ripped apart. And I must tell you I cannot stand by again as their lives are endangered. We will be leaving now."

Ron took his wand out. "I can't let you do that Harry. The Triumphant will return the Wizarding World to its rightful place as a safe haven for purebloods and muggle-borns alike, to all magical folk. If you stand in our way any longer we must deal with you as an enemy of the Triumphant. Alone yes you are stronger but together we will be unstoppable."

"Don't do this Ron, don't try it. I'm stronger than you. I'm taking the Slytherins and leaving, we aren't staying here any longer."

Ron shook his head again and stepped forward. "We do not have to be enemies. Please Harry…I have no wish to kill you. Why do you persist?"

"I made a promise to a girl…" I told him. "…and I intend to keep it."

My heart beat in my chest, I let out a small gasp which Draco caught and turned slightly to look at me. I had tears piercing my eyes for some reason that I couldn't quite understand. I met his eyes and he raised an eyebrow when I reached out for him with trembling hands.

"Are you alright?" he asked me.

I couldn't answer.

"Pansy what's-"

Potter's, no Harry's, voice reached my ears again as he spoke to his once best friend. "I must keep that promise Ron, whatever happens cannot be undone."

"Promises…you made me promises, you made Hermione promises, you made a lot of promises Harry Potter," Ron called out to me, he was toying with me. He stood with his scarred face, his voice raspy and far from what it once was. But there was emotion there, raw and unhindered emotion that had blinded him. His anger and jealousy was overcoming who he once was. His loss and his sadness was too much for him.

"I tried my best Ron," I stood with my shoulders slumped, I was exhausted and I knew exactly how this would end. "I did the best I could, do you think I wanted to watch those people die, to have Him in my head and to hear his thoughts, his wants, and his sick desires? Do you honestly think I want to turn into him?"

"Your best is not good enough Harry!" Hermione shouted from the table. "You let known traitors and villains go by speaking on their behalf. Why do you think we started this organization without you? We are trying to improve the Wizarding World and denounce you as its savior. We followed you blindly, so many died because of you after Dumbledore died, you ran and hid like a child while others were left to fight without their leader. No more Harry, no more will your name ring in a child's ear to make them feel safe."

Neville stood now. "And what about all of those wronged here in Hogwarts? What about the innocent that were affected by the war and you did nothing when it came out that Slytherin students were hurting and torturing others. You stood before witches and wizards and told them they should pardon individuals such as Malfoy, Nott, and Parkinson. Not to mention dozens more. They were our enemy Harry and you betrayed us for them!"

Forks and knives were dropped, I heard Blaise swear and Malfoy laugh lightly, he was impressed. I stared at Harry with a newfound respect. I was touched, deep down and where no one had ever reached, I felt a joy at the sight of Harry as he stood before his former friends and comrades with a look of complete defiance. But it wasn't just that, he stood calm with his eyes front and never denied a thing. I gripped Draco's hand tighter and he turned once again to look at me.

"What is it?"

"Will he be alright?"

Draco smiled knowingly. "Of course, he has us."

"I never betrayed you. I did what I felt was right, for the greater good. They were children, teenagers who never got to live a true childhood…just like me."

"Regardless of your intent…" Ron started again. "…they are criminals and will be handled as such."

I stepped forward, my wand in my hand now. "No one will hurt them or you will answer to me."

"Stop this foolishness Harry and join us," Hermione offered as she walked towards Ron.

"I will not stand for something I think is corrupt. You have forgotten what it means to do good…you join each other out of fear while I look to forgiveness and faith in all of us that we will be stronger together. If you do not feel the same then we will take absence of you. Draco…" I called out to my friend. "…gather yourselves, we will be leaving."

Ron raised his wand, spit flung from his mouth as he hissed his words. "No one will be leaving anywhere."

"Don't try it Ron, you are no match for me!" I said through gritted teeth. I felt my anger flare and my hand twitched, I was controlling myself but just barely, it was becoming very hard to do so. "None of you are."

Hermione had 'tears' in her eyes. "You were like a brother to me Harry, but now you betray us completely."

"Draco let's go."

I backed away towards the door as the first few Slytherins made their out of the Great Hall very carefully, still unsure of what was happening. Draco stood with Blaise and Pansy while Theodore Nott and Daphne Greengrass herded them out to the grounds, Demelza and Luna were making sure of that. Ron stared at us enraged and stepped forward, his voice booming.

"Do not go any farther or the Triumphant will stop you all!"

I saw Draco try to raise his wand but Blaise stopped him, he whispered in his ear and Malfoy nodded. He and the remaining Slytherins, there had really only been about twenty to return to Hogwarts, came towards me, behind me. But as Pansy began to walk I saw Hermione raise her wand in a quick motion intending to hex her but I was quicker and I shouted, my spell speeding towards Hermione, no one was able to react in time and she was hit in the stomach. I watched as her body was picked up and thrown across the Great Hall, she collided with the professors' table and crumbled to the ground while several other Triumphant members rose in defense of her. Ron yelled in anger. I stood, I had chosen my path.

"Traitor!"

I blocked a spell he sent my way and then blocked another, spinning to my left a red spell smashed into the ground and made an indent two feet deep. I blocked one more before I took my chance and sent out a powerful bone crusher spell, Ron saw it coming and had no chance to dodge and instead he dragged up a student from the table and flung him forward. The spell collided with the fifth year and he yelped as he fell, his ribs all but dust. The students not a part of the Triumphant ran for the edges of the room while Ron and his followers remained, a good twenty or so students and most of them were in the DA. Most of the Professors came down to stand with them, and I silently wondered how much power Ron had in this organization.

"You've chosen wrongly Potter."

I shook my head. "On the contrary...I didn't chose anything, I'm keeping my promise."

He defended me. Granger was going to hex me, curse me even, and I saw it in her eyes. She could have killed me. Harry…Harry saved me again. He defended me against his former best friend, the girl he fought beside for how many years? I wasn't a fighter but for as long as he stood with us then I would stand with him. I drew my wand and was the first one beside him, standing just to the left of him while Draco came up on his right.

"We will not surrender…" Harry told them, his voice echoed across the hall. "…I will defend them."

For some reason I reached out and took his left hand, I felt him flinch at my touch before he closed his hand around mine and held it tight. I smiled inwardly before raising my wand along with the others, ready to fight.

"Then it will be your downfall."

I shrugged. "I never cared for my fame anyway."

Ron shook his head, looked at me one final time and then all at once the Triumphant fired at us with a spell I have never seen before. It intertwined into one single blast that shot forward through the Great Hall, my new friends gasped and backed away but I would not be daunted. Letting go over Pansy's hand I took a few steps forward and, going purely on faith in my ability, I did what my heart was telling me. Leaping from my wand was my silver stag, it galloped forwards, growing in size with each step it took until it leapt at the yellow spell and took it head on, a massive explosion filled the Great Hall and the tables were blasted aside, the students hugging the walls dropped to the ground to take cover from the shards of wood while the windows shattered and the Triumphant were thrown into each other, falling and crumbling under the impact. I yelled in anger when I saw Ron still standing, a shield glowing around him before he shrugged off the blow.

"I am now stronger than you Harry," he told me quietly, walking forward. "The time of the Chosen one is over, the Triumphant will seize our justice."

"We shall see…" I breathed, that spell exhausted me. I glanced behind me at Draco and gestured to the door. "…Go Malfoy, onto the grounds, you'll know where to go."

While Ron continued forward Draco shook his head. "I'll stay with you, Potter."

"Malfoy go!" I shouted as the Triumphant were rising and charging forward. The Slytherins were glancing at each other unsure, I had just saved them again, but they didn't know if they should stay and fight beside me. I took Malfoy by the collar, Ginny was only twenty yards away yet they weren't firing spells yet, and pushed him backwards. "Get them out Malfoy, get them safe. Go!"

I turned away from them, feeling my magic coursing through my veins. One by one the Slytherins left, Draco and Pansy were the last ones; they were going to stay. Both of them nodded to the other and moved forward to stand beside me but I knew it would not go well for them, they weren't strong enough. Without the use of my wand I pushed them backwards through the doorway, Pansy and Malfoy shouting for me to stop. I glanced backwards with a brief smile.

"Go!" I yelled and then met Ginny head on. I blocked her first attack and then blocked one from Neville, I sent a leg locker to Ginny and caught her just below her knees, she fell to the ground but could still fight so I fired off a stunner and she slid across the ground unconscious. I met Neville next and fired off two stunners one directly after the other, he managed to block them both but he didn't see the third, it hit him fully in the face and he flipped over himself and onto an overturned table, his wand snapped beneath him. I met several more as the minutes wore on. My magic sustained me and eventually I was dodging and blocking and attacking as many as ten at a time. Sweat beaded down my brow and I was occasionally hit with a cutting curse or a bone breaker but nothing too serious, I fought on. I only hoped I was giving them enough time.

"Where are we going?" I yelled as I helped Draco down the steps and into the cold night. We rushed across the grounds as fast as we could but had no idea where we were going until we saw a light coming towards us. Behind us, in the castle, we could hear the fighting and I begged merlin that Harry would be okay.

"Malfoy, Parkinson, this way!" Demelza shouted as she came upon us. I couldn't believe it.

"You betrayed Harry, why should we trust you?" Malfoy asked, grabbing her by her collar.

She blanched white but stood her ground. "I have to repay him for his forgiveness, I owe him. Follow me and you will get out of here."

I made a decision to trust her. "Draco let her go, Demelza let's go."

I was forced back into the corridor, but not before taking a few of the Triumphant down, as the battle wore on and they began to make up ground I was forced to use spells I had never thought I'd use against friends. Instead of stunners I sent out bone crushers and cutting curses, spells they were using only stronger and darker. Dean tried to flank me but I ducked, rolled and fired off a cutting curse aimed for his hand. He yelled and fell to the ground with his hand hanging limply. Seamus shouted in rage, dropping his wand and rushing me. I took my chance and fired directly at his chest with a bone crusher. He stared blankly as his body was flung back into one of the professors.

"You are killing Harry, you are murdering!" Ron called from behind the group.

I ignored him and knew it was time to leave. I fired a few spells at the ceiling and it began to crumble, falling atop us. Without waiting another second I fired one more at the group before rushing out of the door and down through the grounds with the group following behind.

I saw my friends huddled at the point I had informed Demelza to wait, the secret I had woven into the Hogwarts wards at the behest of Dumbledore's portrait. It was one of two places a person could leave the grounds by portkey, while I had gone to the Great Hall I had Demelza and Luna make as many portkeys as possible.

"Harry!" I heard Pansy yelled and a spell flew from her wand, I dived down behind a boulder, the next moment Zacharias Smith was knocked unconscious.

"Thank you," I told her and got up. "Who's left?"

Demelza gestured to the group around me. Draco, Pansy, Demelza and myself. I nodded and then was about to speak when a spell collided with Demelza, she hit the ground hard and the portkey in her hand, there was only one left, fell to the snow. Malfoy shouted and grabbed her leg before diving for the portkey with me and Pansy reaching for it but we just missed it as Demelza and Malfoy were transported away.

"Pan-" Malfoy began but never finished.

Pansy looked to me and I grabbed her hand. "What now Harry?"

"Give up Harry!" Ron shouted, he was close.

I smiled at her, reassuringly. "It'll be okay."

"Harry!" Ron bellowed as he came closer.

"Kreacher!"

The elf appeared and bowed to me. "Master?"

Ron came running forwards with his wand raised, a spell on his lips.

"Kreacher take her to the island, I'll protect you!"

Pansy shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "No Har-"

I was alone.

Ron fired his spell and I only just managed to avoid it by diving to the left and I fell down towards the Lake. He fired another as I tried to stand and I felt a pain in my leg from the spell but I ignored it for now. Standing up I saw Kreacher return and reach out for me just as Ron was going to fire. But I beat him too it and yelled off a spell I never wanted to use.

The green spell left my wand and flew towards Ron…and then Kreacher brought us away from there.

I felt sand beneath me. Before I passed out I raised my head, I saw Pansy sitting beside me with tears in her eyes; I saw a bright sun and blue waves. We were safe.